June 3, 2004

Prince still reigns
By STACEY VREEKEN
SENTINEL FEATURES EDITOR
http://www.santacruzsenti...7style.htm

Sitting on a stage alone with just an acoustic guitar, Prince could command the attention of a full house with just one little moan. Call it a combination of charisma and talent, intersecting to create an artist who who has changed how we listen to music.

Prince dominated a capacity crowd at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Tuesday night in an almost three-hour, three-part show that ranged from funky dance party to intimate acoustic set to big-sound arena rock with plenty of nostalgia thrown in.

The party show kicked off with hard-pumping house funk on an open X-shaped stage, played in the round.

Dressed in white shirt and pants with a stylish black jacket, Prince was the emblem of His Purpleness. Always unique, his coat rode high on one side and hung three-quarters length on the other (the side where his baby-blue strat slung low on his hip). His petite high heels sparkled diamond-like. His moves were restrained, but always theatrical and slick.

The hard-working band was likewise sharply attired and their playing was equally sharp. Unlike some bands where women serve as window dressing and booty shakers, this group was truly integrated: black, white, male, female.

Candy Dulfer on saxophone kept the edges hard and funky, while Rhonda Smith laid down solid bass lines. Drummer John Blackwell was a show unto himself, twirling the sticks and slamming home beats.

Saxophonist Maceo Parker guested on several songs and when you saw the horns cluster together, you knew the sound would soon be kicked up another impossible notch.

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Old songs and new mixed together well, As confetti dumped over the crowd during "Let’s Go Crazy" and "I Would Die 4 U," Prince settled into giving the crowd what they wanted by "taking it old school."

When Prince crooned, "I feel for you, I think I love you," everyone was sure of it, right on through the old "Controversy" and the new "Musicology." As Prince descended through the stage in a cloud of smoke to Neto’s keyboard noodling, thousands of screaming, whistling and jumping fans lost control.

Prince reappeared alone for an acoustic set in a new outfit and attitude. His white fringe pants and white shirt with small purple polka dots matched his purple acoustic guitar. Perched on a swiveling bar stool, Prince swung into "Red Corvette" and then broke off, "I do not care for lip sync-ers," he said. "You got to sing!"

The crowd delivered and as Prince sang the first few words to "Cream," the audience sang the rest of the words on their own. They also knew the words to "Raspberry Beret" and Chaka Khan’s "Sweet Thing," and all of the other oldies Prince pulled out of his guitar in a medley. And while it was good to hear all the old songs, I wish he would ditch the medleys for full renditions of fewer songs.

After a few bars of "Jailhouse Rock," he broke off again, saying "We can be a Prince, but we don’t want to be no king." An acoustic version of the new "On the Couch" and "12:01" replaced it and were the cues for the arena-rock electric set to begin.

"Sign ‘O’ The Times" kicked it off followed by "Question of U/The One," perhaps the best song of the night with a searing solo that reminds you Prince is a master of the guitar.

Channeling Jimi Hendrix and James Brown at the same time, Prince repeatedly waved off a stage hand holding a towel as the Purple One stroked his guitar into an extended solo. He tenderly laid it on the stage floor and proceeded to pull magic out of the feedback, until he finally took the towel and dropped it over the guitar.

Whew!

The only response after that is "U Got The Look," pulling up audience members to dance onstage and a hip version of "Soul Man." Another sing-along for "Kiss" and a "best jam of the year" comment from Prince ended the show.

Except for the costume change and extended encore, which included a downpour of "Purple Rain," complete with the over-the-top purple symbol guitar.

It was so good, Prince did the last chorus again. Sadly, to my knowledge, there was no aftershow. But this concert-goer left drenched in seriously excellent music, clutching my complimentary "Musicology" CD and feeling it was worth every dollar.

He’ll play again at the Oakland Colliseum in September; if you don’t have tickets, get them now.

Either we're wrong or the writer is wrong but this review is of the June 1 concert in San Jose, not June 2 (as it's described on the Home page)



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[This message was edited Thu Jun 3 14:36:00 2004 by CalhounSq]